Colchester City Council's Green Waste Charging Proposals are unfair and poorly thought through

Colchester City Council has proposed charging residents for garden waste collection, but the plan has been met with significant criticism. It is unfair to charge residents for a service that was previously free, especially in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis when the council wastes so much tax payer money. 

Cllr Tom Rowe (Rural North Ward) and Conservative spokesman on Strategic Objectives said: "The council has not yet released a full breakdown of the costs and benefits of the proposal, making it difficult to assess whether it is the best option or not. Instead of increasing taxes, why doesn't the council look at reducing spending? Why doesn't  the Council look to save £200k by cutting the cost of politics? I would also suggest that the council could partner with local commercial partners to deliver the service more efficiently. Without these options on the table, how can the council make a decision on this important issue?

Those who follow council business know they have already made the decision to charge for green waste collection, this is a formality.

Only the Conservatives voted against the recent budget rejecting this Green tax. The proposal are likely to be debated in the council's scrutiny Committee before going back to cabinet in the coming months for a rubber stamp, whatever is recommended. 

The business case put forward by the council is unlike any I've seen. It does not include the overall costs of running the service, such as staff costs. It does however include the purchase of two new trucks required for wider use in the collection service that seemingly have nothing to do with Green waste demand. 

Whilst the council has so enthusiastically announced a climate crisis, why hasn't it announced these new trucks will be electric?

This is not the only odd decision in the council's Green tax proposals that need to be answered. Why aren't those on benefits exempt from the upfront wheelie bin cost or the annual collection cost? Why are those on existing estates with brown waste bins being required to pay for the cost of another bin?

The Council's green waste charging proposal is a controversial one, and it is likely to be debated for some time. It is important that the Council carefully considers all of the options before making a final decision. Currently I don't believe this work has been done and it needs to be considered in conjunction with the whole waste and recycling policy. 

Residents are facing many different cost pressures and they need this new tax like a hole in the head."

2023-07-18 19:19:05